Help for parents

Children are keen to fit in and quickly pick up ideas about what’s supposedly ‘for boys’ and what’s ‘for girls’ – but this can limit what they believe they can do.

Many toys and books are marketed as being for one sex or the other and children may worry if their favourite toys or hobbies challenge these stereotypical ideas. Parents and carers are often concerned that children who challenge these norms will be teased or bullied.

The Let Toys Be Toys campaign has been approached by parents and teachers highlighting problems in this area. So we’ve worked with teachers to develop resources to help schools tackle these issues in the classroom.

As they grow older, narrow ideas of what boys and girls are like can damage children’s chances as some boys pick up the message that learning and reading is ‘unmasculine’, and girls are less likely to pursue interests in science and technology subjects that they’ve learned are ‘unfeminine’. However, research has shown that questioning stereotypes can help both boys’ and girls’ educational achievement.

Children’s beliefs about boys and girls can be hard to shake. We hope these resources will help teachers get children thinking, and offer a way to put equal opportunities policies into action.

If you have feedback, or would like to suggest additional resources, please use the comments below.

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4 Comments

Just had a Kleeneze Christmas catalogue put through my door with seperate pages labelled “Boys Toys” and “Girls Toys”. As a Microbiologist I strongly object to a microscope being marketed as a Boys Toy, and will be letting Kleeneze know my opinions on this.